On January 31, 2019, the Supreme Court of Canada released its much-anticipated decision in Orphan Well Association et al. v. Grant Thornton Limited et al., 2019 SCC 5, commonly referred to as “Redwater”. Specifically, Redwater clarifies the priority as between environmental obligations and those afforded to secured creditors in insolvency proceedings.
During Thursday's meeting, the Romanian Government approved a draft Government Ordinance regulating certain fiscal-budgetary measures (Draft GO). The Draft GO tackles upon various matters such as (i) restructuring measures of budgetary duties outstanding as at 31 December 2017,(ii) amending certain provisions of the Romanian Fiscal Code and of the Romanian Fiscal Procedure Code, or (iii) repealing certain legislative provisions. Additionally, the Draft GO aims to amend particular provisions of Law no.
After years of Spanish non-performing loan (NPL) sales, a significant hurdle preventing purchasers from enforcing the underlying loans has now been removed.
As we send this final edition of Global Insight for 2018, Rick and I would like to thank you for your continued support of our multi-award-winning Global Restructuring Group. Undeterred by a back-drop of trade tariffs and Brexit, governments and professionals around the world have continued to try to develop laws and protocols to facilitate the best possible recoveries for creditors from cross-border financial distress. Since the dramatic events of 2008, jurisdictions have sought to bolster their insolvency laws, and many, to supplement them with pre-insolvency restructuring options.
On November 23, 2018, the German Federal Council (Bundesrat) approved the Tax Reform Act of 2018 (the “Tax Reform Act”; Gesetz zur Vermeidung von Umsatzsteuerausfällen beim Handel mit Waren im Internet und zur Änderung weiterer steuerlicher Vorschriften), which was passed by the German Parliament (Bundestag) on November 8, 2018.
On November 23, 2018 the German Federal Council (Bundesrat) approved the Tax Reform Act of 2018 (the “Tax Reform Act”; Gesetz zur Vermeidung von Umsatzsteuerausfällen beim Handel mit Waren im Internet und zur Änderung weiterer steuerlicher Vorschriften), which was passed by the German Parliament (Bundestag) on November 8, 2018.
Corporate reorganizations often involve waivers of inter-company debt. In general – although perhaps more obviously outside the group context – the waiver of a debt can be seen as producing a profit for the debtor company. Where this is reflected in profit and loss for accounting purposes, a taxable profit may arise in the hands of a UK resident debtor. Typically, however, debt waivers in the context of corporate reorganizations are not problematic.
On 29 October 2018, HM Treasury published a consultation paper on a breathing space scheme and a statutory debt repayment plan, which were both part of the government’s 2017 manifesto commitments.
On 01 November 2018, the President of Ukraine signed the Law "On Amendments to Certain Legal Acts of Ukraine on Resumption of Lending" (the “Law”) adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 03 July 2018. The Law eliminates most of legislative gaps that existed in the loan and mortgage legal environment of Ukraine.
In this connection the Law introduced several significant changes that can be considered as rather positive for borrowers, inter alia, it:
Avago Technologies Wireless (USA) Manufacturing Inc. acquired PLX Technologies, Inc. for $6.50 per share in cash. After the $300 million merger closed, certain former PLX stockholders sued for damages, alleging that the PLX directors had breached their fiduciary breaches, aided and abetted by both Potomac Capital Partners II, L.P. (a hedge fund that is an activist stockholder and had three designees on the PLX board) and the PLX board’s financial advisor (the “Banker”).